Top Gracilaria Seaweeds Fishing Countries

Gracilaria is not a fish, but a genus of red seaweeds highly valued for their use in producing agar, a gelatinous substance widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. Gracilaria seaweeds thrive in warm, shallow coastal waters, and their harvesting forms a significant part of the aquaculture and wild seaweed collection industries. The top Gracilaria-producing countries are China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. China is the global leader, cultivating vast areas of coastal waters for Gracilaria farming, followed by Indonesia and the Philippines, where both wild harvesting and farming are important sources of income for coastal communities. These countries have developed robust supply chains to meet the growing international demand for agar and other seaweed-derived products, making Gracilaria a key commodity in the global seaweed industry.

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.